Ubiquitous computing is a model of human-computer interaction to integrate information processing into daily activities. For instance, ubiquitous computing includes multiple computational devices and systems operating simultaneously. Recently, ubiquitous computing is applied to urban areas, which includes physical movements and interpretations of social context. As a result, urban computing is emerging as a concept where every sensor, person, vehicle, building, and street in the urban areas may be used as a computing component for serving people and their towns or their cities.
Urban computing may be used for urban planning that integrates land-use planning and transportation planning to improve built, economic, and social environments of communities. Urbanization is increasing at a fast pace in developing countries. Meanwhile, urban reconstruction, renewal, and suburbanization are occurring in countries that have already been developed. However, there are opportunities for innovative technologies that may automatically and inconspicuously sense urban dynamics and provide crucial information to urban planners.
For instance, a large number of taxicabs transport passengers in urban areas. Some taxicabs may be equipped with sensors to record their location data to a centralized server at regular intervals. The taxicabs may be considered to be ubiquitous mobile sensors constantly probing the urban areas' traffic patterns. Thus, there is an increasing opportunity to utilize the location data of route-oriented vehicles.